MPs told not to be mesmerised by Stern report.


The Prime Minister has told Coalition MPs not to get mesmerised by the Stern report on the implications of climate change.
The report, commissioned by the British Government, says if countries do not act now the world will face a depression worse than that of the 1930s.
The report also puts the worldwide cost of global warming and its effects at $A9 trillion.
John Howard has told his party room that science shows the globe is getting warmer and the issue has escalated in the public consciousness.
But he says they should not be mesmerised by one report.
The Labor leader, Kim Beazley, has told his party room that the Government is not sincere on climate change and does not understand it.
He says Labor has been arguing for the sort of solutions that Sir Nicholas Stern calls for in his report.
The Greens leader, Bob Brown, says Australia should be leading the fight against climate change.
He is calling on the Government to appoint a minister to deal with the problem.
"This nation will not get on track with climate change until there is a coordinated responsibility across the board for the economic, social and environmental impacts of climate change," he said.
Report welcomed
Meanwhile the head of one of Australia's largest companies has welcomed the report.
The managing director of the Insurance Australia Group, Michael Hawker, says the report will help business adapt to the challenge of climate change.
He says he supports a carbon emissions tax and the report's findings do not come as a shock.
"I'm not shocked in terms of the change to living standards," he said.
"What I think we didn't have a handle on was on the economic cost.
"I think the impact, the economic impact is startling and one which will drive a lot of behaviour."
Concern for natural icons
The CSIRO says natural icons such as the Great Barrier Reef will still be at risk if the minimum action suggested in the Stern report is taken.
CSIRO research scientist Roger Jones says even if the essential greenhouse reductions nominated by Sir Nicholas are met, there is still an environmental cost.
"We've calculated that there's still a fair risk that some [of] our climate sensitive icons could still suffer significant damage - the Great Barrier Reef, the alpine areas and some of our endemic flors and fauna," he said.
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